Kudos to Newton City Councilor Alison Leary for leading efforts to strengthen Newton’s plastic bag reductions ordinance. On February 6, the Programs & Services Committee of the Newton City Council voted to ban the thicker plastic bags that are offered by some markets since Newton’s law banned slightly thinner bags. The committee also voted to add a 10 cent fee to paper bags, in order to incentivize shoppers to bring reusable bags. If passed by the full Newton City Council, there will no longer be an exemption for smaller stores.
To quote Councilor Christopher Markiewicz, “This is an example of a situation where we have to take action. Cleaning up the environment and protecting it isn’t happening fast enough. This legislation is a small step in pushing the need to do this now. The so-called reusable bags given out at some supermarkets are largely not reused, and they wind up in the trash. It has to stop.”
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